Nintendo and Pokémon Sue Palworld Creators Over Patent Infringement
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have filed a lawsuit against Pocketpair Inc., the creators of the popular game Palworld, over alleged patent infringement.
This comes after the Pokémon Company announced its intention to investigate potential copyright infringement in the wildly popular game shortly after its early access release on January 18, 2024.
What does the lawsuit say?
The lawsuit, which was filed in the Tokyo District Court, accuses Pocketpair’s game of infringing on multiple patents, though the specific patents in question have not been revealed yet.
Palworld shares similarities with Pokémon in its core mechanics, including capturing and training creatures known as "pals." However, the game adds a twist by allowing players to use guns in battles, which set it apart and attracted a large player base. By the end of January, the game was dubbed "Pokémon with guns," and had over 25 million players, solidifying its success.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop further sales of Palworld and compensation for damages. Both Nintendo and The Pokémon Company have been vocal about protecting their intellectual property, with The Pokémon Company previously stating it would take action against any potential infringements.
Despite these claims, Pocketpair had maintained that their game passed legal checks prior to its release.
Pocketpair respond to Palworld lawsuit
Pocketpair acknowledged the lawsuit, stating that they were unaware of the specific patents involved and would begin legal proceedings to investigate the claims.
The company expressed disappointment over the situation, saying, "It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit."
Despite the lawsuit, Pocketpair has reassured fans that they are committed to continuing updates for Palworld. In fact, just hours after the lawsuit was announced, the developers released a hotfix for the Xbox version of the game.
"We will continue improving Palworld and strive to create a game that our fans can be proud of," the company said, vowing to protect their creative freedom as an indie developer.
What could the impact of the lawsuit be?
The legal battle has sparked a lot of discussion among players, especially on Pocketpair’s official Palworld Discord, where fans are debating the potential impact of the lawsuit.
Many players have expressed concern that the game might be shut down, but others are hopeful that Pocketpair will prevail in the legal proceedings.
As of now, both sides are preparing for what could be a lengthy legal process. With no clear details on the patents in question, it remains to be seen how this will affect Palworld's future, but Pocketpair has made it clear they will fight for their game and their fans.
